Edwin Moses

Edwin Moses arrived at the 1976 Montreal Olympics as a relative unknown, a physics major from Morehouse College with an unorthodox, elongated stride. He left with a gold medal and a world record, beginning a reign over his event that bordered on the absurd. For nine years, nine months, and nine days, Moses did not lose a 400-meter hurdles final, a streak of 107 victories that stands as one of sport's most untouchable feats. His dominance was cerebral; he approached the hurdles as an engineering problem, perfecting a technique that took 13 steps between each barrier where others needed 14. Off the track, Moses was equally formidable, using his academic mind to challenge the Olympic establishment. He became a forceful advocate for stricter, fairer drug testing and for reforms to amateurism rules, arguing for athletes' rights to control their own careers. His post-competitive life saw him chair the Laureus World Sports Academy, turning his competitive focus toward using sport for social change.